Vessel positioning means for continuous casting machines



Nov. 18, 1969 0. B. COFER ET AL VESSEL POSITIONING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5. 196? l/vl/zA/mes 77/0444: 1. 564V Nov. 18, 1969 co ET AL 3,478,813

' VESSEL rosmxoume MEANS FOR commuous CASTING MACHINES Filed June 5. 196'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE/VIOQ? man/4s A. flux DIN/1 19. (bx-2 BY m,' Jlf.2 gm! 7 ,drmewsra Nov. 18, 1969 CQFER ET AL 3,478,813

VESSEL POSITIONING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES Filed June 5, 196'? 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 W n/70195 7901445 1. Ba /r 174M122 5 60/5? Gama: 6. W420 Nov. 18, 1969 copy; ET AL 3,478,813

VESSEL POSITIONING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES Filed June 5. 1967 a0 a; a5 80 AWE/Woe? 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent f 3,478,813 VESSEL POSITIONING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES Daniel B. Cofer and George C. Ward, Carrollton, Ga., and Thomas L. Bray, Birmingham, Ala., assignors to Southwire Company, Carrollton, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed June 5, 1967, Ser. No. 643,666 Int. Cl. B22d 11/06 U.S. Cl. 164278 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE What is disclosed herein is an apparatus for positioning the pouring spout extending from a vessel relative to a mold defined by a groove in a casting wheel and by a band which closes the groove. The vessel positioning apparatus is disclosed as including a first linear motion means for moving the pouring spout along a first line of linear motion substantially parallel to a chord of the circle defined by the peripheral surface of the casting wheel, a rotational motion means for simultaneously rotating the first line of linear motion and the pouring spout about a first axis of rotation, a second linear motion means for moving the pouring spout relative to the first line of linear motion along a second line of linear motion transverse to the first line of linear motion, and a third linear motion means for moving the pouring spout relative to the first line of linear motion along a third line of linear motion transverse to both the first line of linear motion and the second line of linear motion and for rotating the pouring spout about a second axis of rotation spaced from the first axis of rotation and relatively close to the vessel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention This invention relates generally to positioning apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for selectively positioning a vessel containing molten metal relative to a casting mold into which the molten metal is to be transferred from the vessel.

Prior art There is a frequent requirement in the casting art that molten metal be transferred from a melting furnace to a casting mold by using an intermediate vessel to provide a more accurately controlled pouring of the molten metal into the casting mold than is possible when pouring the molten metal into the casting mold directly from a relatively large and cumbersome melting furnace. In conventional metal foundry practice involving the casting of ingots in a stationary casting mold, very little apparatus for positioning such an intermediate vessel with respect to the casting mold is used since sufficiently accurate control of the pouring of the molten metal from the intermediate vessel into the casting mold can be accomplished using a minimum of manual and mechanical control.

However, in continuous casting practice in which the molten metal in the casting mold is generally moving relative to the intermediate vessel, more accuracy in control over the pouring of the molten metal from an intermediate vessel into a continuous casting mold is required than in conventional metal foundry practice. This is because the intermediate vessel must not only be accurately positioned with respect to the continuous casting mold but must also be quickly and easily changed in position with respect to the continuous casting mold and molten metal in the casting mold.

Thus, the position of an intermediate vessel containing molten metal with respect to a continuous casting mold into which the molten metal is poured as well as changes in the position of the intermediate vessel with respect to the continuous casting mold are of major importance in continuous casting practice. This has resulted in the use of many arrangements of apparatus for positioning a vessel containing molten metal with respect to a continuous casting mold into which the molten metal is to be poured.

However, one of the problems encountered with most of these previous arrangements of apparatus for positioning a vessel with respect to a continuous casting mold provided by a casting wheel has been their lack of sufficient flexibility to easily and quickly position the intermediate vessel and a pouring spout extending from it in the variety of positions required to provide varying depths of the end of the pouring spout in the continuous casting mold or in the molten metal in the continuous casting mold. This is because the necessary changes in the position of the intermediate vessel relative to the continuous casting mold require movement of the intermediate vessel along a line of motion substantially parallel to the inclined path defined by the stream of molten metal passing from the intermediate vessel through the pouring spout into the casting mold which is in turn parallel to a chord of the casting wheel, and because previous arrangements of apparatus to position an intermediate vessel have been able to move the intermediate vessel along a line of motion parallel to a chord of the casting wheel only by the combined and difficult to coordinate movements of the intermediate vessel through a plurality of lines of motion not parallel to a chord of the casting wheel or to the stream of molten metal flowing from the intermediate vessel. Therefore, previous arrangements of apparatus for positioning a vessel have been unable to quickly and easily change the position of the intermediate vessel so as to change easily and quickly the depth of a pouring spout in a continuous casting mold provided by a casting wheel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention disclosed herein overcomes these and other problems associated with prior art apparatus for the positioning of an intermediate vessel containing molten metal with respect to a continuous casting mold, especially an arcuate casting mold defined by a casting wheel, in that it provides a line of motion of the vessel and of the pouring spout extending from the vessel which is substantially parallel to any of a plurality of chords of the casting wheel including that chord parallel to the path defined by the stream of molten metal flowing through the pouring spout from the intermediate vessel into the continuous casting mold. In addition, the invention provides a variety of other motions for the intermediate vessel so that positioning of the vessel relative to the continuous casting mold for all casting conditions can be easily achieved. Moreover, adjustments in the position of the intermediate vessel can be made with the invention in such a manner that associated equipment is not subjected to the damage and operating personnel are not subjected to the danger of burns which are generally associated with adjustments made using prior art vessel positioning apparatus.

The invention provides the required variety of positions and movements of an intermediate vessel by a first linear motion means for changing the position of the intermediate vessel and the pouring spout relative to a casting wheel along a first line of linear motion which is substantially parallel to a chord of the casting wheel; rotational motion means for rotatably changing the position of the intermediate vessel, the pouring spout, and the first line of linear motion about a first axis of rotation which is perpendicular to the first line of linear motion;

second linear. motionmeans for changing the position of the intermediate vessel and the pouring spout relative to the first line of linear motion along a second line of linear motion substantially perpendicular to the first line of linear motion; and third linear motion means for rotatably changing the position of the intermediate vessel and the pouring spout about a second axis of rotation which is spaced from and substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation and for changing the position of the pouring spout relative to the first line of linear motion along a third line of linear motion substantially perpendicular to both the first line of linear motion and the second line of linear motion.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood upon consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout and in which:

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a continuous casting machine which has been partially broken away to show an embodiment of the invention more clearly;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of that embodiment I ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the vessel positioning apparatus disclosed herein is generally designated as and serves to position an intermediate vessel 11 such as a pouring pot adjacent a casting wheel 14 of a casting machine C for the transfer of molten metal from the vessel 11 into a casting mold M of the casting machine C. The vessel positioning apparatus 10 is mounted on a central base 12 of the casting machine C.

The casting machine C is of conventional design and rotatably carries the casting wheel 14 on the central base 12. The casting wheel 14 has a peripheral groove 19 partially enclosed by a flexible band 15 to form the casting mold M. The band 15 extends along a length of the periphery of the casting wheel 14 and around four support wheels 16 which are also carried by the central base 12 and which provide for motion of the belt 15 with rotation of the casting wheel 14 in conventional manner.

The vessel 11 has a tubular pouring spout 18 which communicates with the interior of the vessel 11 in conventional manner and which, when extended into the mold M, serves to direct a stream of molten metal from within the vessel 11 into the mold M for the solidification of the molten metal. The centerline of the pouring spout 18 as it extends into the mold M defines a path P along which the stream of molten metal is directed into the mold M. Since the pouring spout 18 is fixed in position relative to the vessel 11, the path P assumes a plurality of positions with changes in the position of the vessel 11.

The apparatus 10 disclosed herein is best understood as generally comprising a support assembly A and a support positioning assembly B. The support assembly A receives the vessel 11 in a cradle G and in combination with the support positioning assembly B, selectively positions the vessel 11 and the pouring spout 18 with respect to the casting wheel 14 and the mold M.

The support positioning assembly B serves as a first linear motion means for moving the support assembly A,

the vessel 11, and the pouring spout v18 along a substantially straight first line of linear motion R which is always substantially parallel to a chord H of the casting wheel 14 regardless of changes in the position of the vessel 11. It will be understood that the chord H is substantially parallel to a line tangential to the peripheral surface of the casting wheel 14 at or adjacent the entry end of the mold M as defined by the band 15 engaging the casting wheel 14. The support positioning assembly B is rotated by a primary rotational motion assembly D which serves as a rotational motion meansfor rotating the support positioning assembly B, the support assembly A, the vessel 11, and the pouring spout 18 about a first axis of rotation S. This rotational motion changes the path P of the pouring spout 18 and the first line of linear motion R simultaneously through a plurality of rotational positions. g

The support assembly A includes a transverse adjustment assembly E and a rotational adjustment assembly F in addition to the cradle G. The transverse adjustment assembly E serves as a second linear motion means for moving the cradle G, the vessel 11, and the pouring spout 18 along a second line of linear motion T- transverse to the first line of linear motion R, and the rotational adjustment assembly F serves as a third linear motion means for both rotating the cradle G and the pouring spout 18 about a second axis of rotation V which is also transverse to the first line of linear motion R and substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation S and moving the pouring spout 18 relative to the first line of linear motion R by linear motion of one side of the cradle G along an arcuate third line of linear motion W which is transverse to both the first line of linear motion R and the second line of linear motion T. Thus, it will-be understood that the transverse adjustment assembly E laterally aligns the pouring spout 18 as it extends from the vessel 11 with the groove 19 and the rotational adjustment assembly F provides for secondary adjustment of the angle of the pouring spout 18 relative to the groove 19 and for changing the position of the pouring spout 18 along a line extending between the band 15 and the bottom of the groove 19.

Each of these assemblies A, B, D, E, and F of the vessel positioning apparatus 10 is described below in more detail. Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the support positioning assembly B comprises a guide assembly 20 and a positioning assembly 21. The guide assembly 20 includes a pair of spaced parallel guide tubes 22 connected by a U-shaped support member 25. One leg 24 of the support member 25 connects the upper ends of the guide tubes 22 and the other leg 26 of the support member 25 connects the guide tubes 22 intermediate their ends. The leg 26 defines a support platform which carries the positioning assembly 21. The guide tubes 22 slidably receive guide rods 29 which carry the support assembly A at their extending ends.

The positioning assembly 21 includes a reversible motor 31 driving a transmission 34 which in turn drives a conventional screw jack 35. The screw jack 35 in turn drives a control rod 30 to selectively extend and retract the support assembly A connected to the extending end of the control rod 30. Therefore, it will be understood that the support assembly A can be selectively positioned along a substantially straight line of linear motion R which is substantially parallel to a chord H of the casting wheel 14.

A mounting plate 36 is attached to each guide tube 22 below the support platform 26. The mounting plates 36 fixedly mount therebetween a pivot tube 38 which rotatably receives therethrough a pivot pin 39; The ivot pin 39 is fixedly mounted at each end thereof by mounting brackets 40 attached to the central base 12. Thus, it will be understood that the support assembly A is pivotable about a first axis of rotation S defined by the centerline of the pivot pin 39. This rotational motion of support assembly A about the first axis of rotation S is provided by the primary rotational motion assembly D and an attachment tab 41 mounted on the base 42 of the U-shaped member 25 is pivotally connected to the primary rotational motion assembly D.

The primary rotational motion assembly D includes a conventional screw jack 44 having its threaded central shaft 45 pivotally connected to the attachment tab 41. The screw jack 44 is pivotally mounted between supports 46 carried by the central base 12 and as the central shaft 45 is extended and retracted by rotation of hand wheel 43, the support positioning assembly B will be rotated about the first axis of rotation S so that the rotational position of both the first line of linear motion R and the path P will be simultaneously changed.

As already described above, the support assembly A as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, is carried by the guide rods 29 and is positioned by the control rod 30 along the first line of linear motion R. The base portion of the support assembly A comprises generally a pair of side plates 48 having a pair of parallel spacer plates 49 extending between them at one end. The spacer plates 49 have apertures (not shown) for insertion of tubular guide rod bushings 51 through which the reduced diameter ends of the guide rods 29 extend. Mounted between the bushings 51 in an aperture 50 is a control rod bushing 52 for receiving the reduced diameter end of control rod 30. The bushings 51 and 52 extend perpendicular from the plates 49 and the guide rods 22 and the control rod 30 are attached to the support assembly A with nuts 54 which engage the threaded ends of the rods 29 and 30. The ends of the side plates 48 remote from the spacer plates 49 have transverse bushings 55 mounted therein for receipt of a transverse guide rod 56. Positioned intermediate the ends of the side plates 48 is a transversely extending roll support 58.

The transverse adjustment assembly E of the support assembly A is positioned between the side plates 48 by the transverse guide rod 56 and a roll support 58. The transverse adjustment assembly E includes a pair of side walls 59 each having a generally horizontal first leg 60 and an upstanding second leg 61. The legs 60 are spaced inwardly of and parallel to the side plates 48 and are joined at their extending ends by an inverted U-shaped roll housing 64. The walls 59 are apertured where the legs 60 and 61 of each wall 59 join and are joined by a slide tube 65 which slidably receives the transverse guide rod 56.

The roll housing 64 mounts a pair of rotatable support rolls 66 on axles 68 carried by the roll housing 64. The rolls 66 extend below the housing 64 and are supported by the roll support 58. Therefore, it will be understood that the transverse adjustment assembly E may be moved within the support assembly A along a second line of linear motion T defined by the centerline of the guide rod 56 and perpendicular to the first line of linear motion R.

The upstanding legs 61 of the walls 59 are shaped to provide a portion 69 integral with a leg 60 and another portion 70 extending over a leg 60. The legs 61 are apertured between the portions 69 and 70 and are joined by a tubular housing 71. An insert 72 is fixedly positioned in one end of the housing 71 to define a threaded aperture 74.

A transfer motion screw 75 is threadedly inserted into the aperture 74 and is rotatably carried by a bearing assembly 76 mounted on an extension 78 integral with a side plate 48 and extending upwardly from the side plate 48 adjacent the insert 72. A handle 79 is mounted on the extending end of the transverse motion screw 75 and serves to rotate the transverse motion screw 75 in the aperture 74 and move the insert 72 and the transverse adjustment assembly E back and forth along the second line of motion T.

A collar 80 is inserted into the upper extending end of each portion 70 of a leg 61. The collars 80* have axial bores 81 through which a pivot rod 82 extends. The pivot rod 82 rotatably mounts the cradle G.

The cradle G includes three U-shaped cradle support members 84, each having one leg 85 with a bushing 86 to rotatably receive the pivot rod 82. Cross braces 88 extend between the U-shaped cradle support members 84 and serve to maintain the cradle support members '84 in spaced parallel relationship. Therefore, it will be seen that the cradle support members 80 may be pivoted as a unit about the pivot rod 82, the centerline of which defines the second axis of rotation V.

The leg 89 of the middle U-shaped cradle support member 84 has integrally formed thereon an attaching tab 90 for pivotal attachment of the rotational adjustment assembly F which serves to pivot the cradle G about the second axis of rotation V. The cradle support members 84 have support surfaces 92 which conform to the outside configuration of the vessel 11 so that the vessel 11 will be received and supported by the cradle G.

The rotational adjustment assembly F comprises generally a pair of upstanding standards 91 extending from the roll housing 64 and joined at their upper ends by a support platform 93 having a lateral extension 94. Mounted on the support platform 93 is a conventional screw jack 95 having its central threaded shaft 96 extending through and below the platform 93 and pivotally engaging the attaching tab 90 through a link member 98. The drive shaft 99 of the screw jack 95 is connected to a hand wheel 100 through a connecting shaft 101 supported by a bearing assembly 102 at the outer end of the lateral extension 94. Therefore, by rotating the hand wheel 100, the central shaft 96 may be selectively extended and retracted below the platform 93 to pivot the cradle G about the second axis of rotation V by linear motion of the tab 90 along the arcuate third line of linear motion W.

It will be noted that the second line of linear motion T is transverse to the first line of linear motion R and that the third line of linear motion W is transverse to both the first line of linear motion R and the second line of linear motion T. Moreover, it will be noted that the axes of rotation S and V are parallel to the second line of linear motion T and the centerline of the casting wheel 14. It will also be noted that the first line of linear motion R is always parallel to a chord H of the casting wheel 14.

OPERATION In operation, it will be seen that the vessel 11 is placed into the cradle G so that it is engaged by the support surfaces 92 of the cradle G. When the vessel 11 is positioned, the pouring spout 18 extends under the lateral extension 94 of the support platform 93 and over the casting wheel 14. The positioning apparatus 10 is then manipulated to position the discharge end of the pouring spout 18 in the mold M defined by the band 15 and the casting wheel 14.

This manipulation of the positioning apparatus 10 is accomplished by first rotating the hand wheel 79 to move the vessel 11 along the second line of linear motion T to align the centerline or path P of molten metal through the pouring spout 18 with the peripheral groove 19 formed by the casting wheel 14. The hand wheel 43 of the primary rotational assembly D is then manipulated to rotate the vessel 11 about the first axis of rotation S until the path P is in its desired position relative to the mold M. The positioning assembly 21 of the support positioning assembly B is then activated 'to selectively move the support assembly A along the first line of linear motion R until the pouring spout 18 extends into the casting mold M to the desired extent for the casting of molten metal.

After this has been done, the hand wheel 100 may then be manipulated to selectively pivot the cradle G about the second axis of rotation V to provide a second adjustment of the path P relative to the casting mold M. However, it will be understood that movement of the vessel 11 about the second axis of rotation V is of importance other than for properly positioning the downward angle of the path P relative to the casting mold M. Another use of the rotational adjustment assembly F is the result of the tab 90 and the pouring spout 18 being adjacent the same side of the cradle G so that rotation of the vessel 11 about the second axis of rotation V provides significant linear motion of the pouring spout 18 generally along the third line of linearmotion W. Thus, the rotational adjustment assembly F serves to position the pouring spout 18 along a line extending between the bottom of the groove 19 and the'band 15.

When it is necessary to change depth of the point at which the molten metal is discharged from the pouring spout 18 into the mold M, the position of the vessel 11 and of the pouring spout 18 can be easily and quickly changed by moving the support assembly A along the first line of linear motion R. Moreover, it will be also understood that regardless of the position of the path P relative to the first line of linear motion R, the positioning apparatus It} quickly and easily provides any of a yariety of positions of the vessel 11 and of the pouring spout 11 in the mold M.

' Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been described and shown in the foregoing description, it is to be understood that full use of modifications, equivalents and substitutions can be made in the embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope of the inventive concept as set forth by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for positioning a vessel relative to an entry end of a mold which is defined by a groove in a peripheral surface of a casting wheel that is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and by a band that closes a length of said groove and that passes onto said peripheral surface above said axis of rotation so as to place said entry end above said axis of rotation along said peripheral surface, single linear motion means for moving said vessel and a pouring spout along a line of motion substantially parallel to a reference line that is tangential to said peripheral surface adjacent said entry end.

2. In an apparatus for positioning a vessel relative to a mold which is defined by a casting wheel having a groove in its peripheral surface and "by a band and which receives molten metal from said vessel through a pouring spout, first motion means for moving said vesseland said pouring spout along a downwardly inclined first line of motion parallel to a chord of 'a circle defined by said peripheral surface, second motion means for moving said pouring spout along a second line of motion transverse to said first line of motion, and third motion means for moving said pouring spout along a downwardly extending third line of motion transverse to both said first line of motion and said second line of motion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including rotational mo tion means for rotating said vessel about an axis of rota tion parallel to said second line of motion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said rotational motion means simultaneously rotates both said pouring spout and said first line of motion about said axis of rotation.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said axis of rotation is a first axis of rotation and in which said third motion means rotates said pouring spout about a second axis of rotation spaced from and parallel to said first axis of rotation.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said second axis of rotation is adjacent said vessel and remote from said first axis of rotation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said third line of motion is an arcuate line of motion having said second axis of rotation as its center of curvature.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,659,949 11/1953 Properzi 164278 2,749,584 6/1956 Fey et a1. 164-278 315,045 4/1885 Lyman 164278 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner I. S. BROWN, Assistant Examrner 

